“Were the Soviet Union to sink tomorrow under the waters of the ocean, the American military-industrial establishment would have to go on, substantially unchanged, until some other adversary could be invented. Anything else would be an unacceptable shock to the American economy.”~George F. Kennan,Foreward toThe Pathology of Power by Norman Cousins (1987)

The most famous and in some circles, infamous, scientist was born 200 years ago today in Shrewsbury, England.Charles Darwin came into the world like everyone else. He would go out in a spectacular fashion.

Readers here are well aware that evolutionary biology has become an ideological football in modern day America carried tightly by the religious right on the field of political battle. Darwin’s name is so reviled by social conservatives that it is routinely used on the tip of a rhetorical spear and pointed at the heart of the US educational system. But what few people know is that Darwin was aware of the effect his ideas might have on his peers, reportedly starting with one near and dear to his own heart:

Darwin held back the book to avoid offending his wife, said Ruth Padel, the naturalist’s great-great-granddaughter. “She said he seemed to be putting God further and further off,” Padel said in her north London home. “But they talked it through, and she said, “Don’t change any of your ideas for fear of hurting me.'” … The 1859 publication of “On the Origin of Species” changed scientific thought forever — and generated opposition that continues to this day. It is this elegant explanation of how species evolve through natural selection that makes Darwin’s 200th birthday on Feb. 12 such a major event.

Ontoday’sKagro in the Morningshow,Greg Dworkinrounds up weekend headlines.Armandojoins us to discuss Pence’s diplomatic “brown medal” in Pyeongchang. Nunes’ crazy has an origin story: notorious spy Mike Flynn! Trump and Fox vie to outlie one another on border agent’s death.